Celebrations in 1992 Rector Dies
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St. PereT's Abbey :A&ws£e-t-ter Vol. 15, No.2 Spring/Swnmer 1992 Former college Celebrations in 1992 rector dies Fr. Xavier Benning in afamilim pose during Br. Demetrius J. Wasylyniuk reads his profession of vows before Abbot Peter Novecosky. Pictured are: Abbot Jerome Weber (seated), Fr. Albert Ruetz (Junior Master & Prior), his latter years. Deacon Richard Meidl, Br. Demetrius, Fr. James Gray (witness), Abbot Peter and Br. Randy Father Xavier Benning, 90, long• Senecal (witness). (See page 2for related story.) time rector of St. Peter's College, died on June 11 in St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Humboldt. Father Xavier was widely known as rector of the college, serving in that po• sition for 25 years, from 1935 to 1960. He was prefect of discipline for 75-80 high school boys in residence during these years. While former students may remember him as a stern prefect, those who knew Fr. Xavier in his final years saw him as a gentle, hard-working, faithful monk and pastor. Father Xavier (Elmer) Benning was born in Arcadia, Wis., in 1901. He was one of the group of students at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minn., who answered the .appeal of Abbot Michael Ott for missionary-minded young men to staff St. Peter's College, Fr. Richard's immediate family following his ordination; from left: Raymond Meidl, still in construction at the time, and to KamJoops, B.C.; Mrs. Harlinda Meidl, Dauphin, Man.; Marian Garlinski, Ashville, Man.; Fr. Richard; Betty Ann Wickstrom, Dauphin; and Leonard Meidl, St. Eustache, Man. (See Continued on page 2 page 5for related story.) Demetrius Joseph Wasylyniuk makes solemn profession On July 11, Brother Demetrius Was- residing in the student residence of ylyniuk of Watrous, Sask., made his Severin Hall guestwing. In 1987 he final commitment on the Feast of S1. entered S1. Peter's Abbey and pro• Benedict in the Abbey Church of Sts. nounced his first vows on July 11, Peter & Paul. 1989. During the novitiate his father, In the presence of Abbot Peter and Joseph WasylyniuIc.passed away. the monastic community of St Peter's, During the first two years of tempo• Br. Demetrius completed his four rary vows Br. Demetrius attended M1. monastic years of formation by pro- Angel Seminary, residing in Mt Angel nouncing the three Benedictine vows of Abbey, taking a two-year pre-theology obedience, stability and conversion of program. The last year of his formation life. Witnessing the ceremony were his was spent at S1. Peter's, where he mother, Elsa, and twin brother, Alec, worked at various tasks - mainly in who farm near Watrous. Also present the business office, the guest depart• were 125 other family members, ment, the bee hives and as abbey infrr- friends and staff of S1.Peter's. marian. Tony Benning, last remaining brother of Fr. Joseph Wasylyniuk was born Feb. It was as infirmarian and beekeeper Xavier, in wheelchair, escorted by Br. Randy 13, 1958, in Regina. Joseph was a li- that Br. Demetrius came to know his Senecal, and Abbot Peter Novecosky follow• censed mortician for a number of years "mentor," Fr. Xavier Benning so well ing the solemn profession of Br. Demetrius. before he entered the monastery, and is before he died on June 11. Br. Deme• On Aug. 27, after long hours of widely known across the province of trius, who suffers from severe arthritis extracting honey from the beehives, Br. Saslaitchewan. He came to S1. Peter's himself, has an exceptional devotion Demetrius returned to M1. Angel to College for one year of college while and commitment to the sick and infrrm. begin four years of theology. Fr. Xavier was ordained to the priesthood on June Xavier made to St Peter's, the one that Continued from page 1 29, 1928,by Bishop JosephPrud'homme is most noticeable and most widely of Prince Albert However,immediately appreciated is the complex of ever• augment the meagre workforce of S1. after his first monasticprofessionin 1924 greens, flower beds, orchard and bee• Peter's Abbeyto providepastoralcare for he joined the teaching staff, on which he yard which constitutes the abbey the parishesof St Peter's Colony. remainedfor the next44 years. He taught grounds. Even in his 90th year he cared F<i)ur members of Fr. Xavier's family a varietyof subjects,from piano to Latin, for the bees, collected crab apples, and came to Canada Three became monks, in which he was highly esteemed for the drove his "mini" tractor to cultivate be• Father Leonard (died in 1970), Father thoroughnessand clarity of his approach, tween the tall evergreens. Edward (died in 1988), and Anthony, and for hisunboundedpatience. To visitors and students alike, to his who later married and raised a large Fr. Xavier also held positions in the fellow card-playing monks, parishioners family. Father Xavier often thanked his monastery during these years - sub• and relatives,the forestof evergreenssur• brother Tony for his nieces and neph• prior, prior, novice master - and he rounding St Peter's, on what was bald ews. servedas pastor of St Scholasticaand St prairie, is a standing ovation to Fr. He entered the Benedictinecommuni• Gertrudeparishesin theabbacy. Xavier's astonishingly tireless service to ty of St Peter's Abbey in June 1923and Of the many contributions which Fr. his community. Fr. Xavier Benning is laid to rest in the abbey cemetery. His only Fr. Xavier took a keen interest in the construction of the new abbey remaining brother, Tony Benning, is in the wheelchair at thefoot of church which he is observing in the photo above. the grave. 2 Convent on the abbey grounds, where she continued to use her skills as a Sister Martina, OSE, dies at 81 seamstress. Sister Martina will be remembered Sister Mary Martina Gramlich died habits. She also served at S1. Thomas quietly in her room on July 13, at S1. College in Battleford, hospitals in by the monks and staff of S1. Peter's as Elizabeth Convent in Humboldt at the Macklin and Cudworth, Sask, and final• a gentle, happy and friendly religious, age of 81. ly in S1. Elizabeth's Convent, Hum• who often expressed appreciation for Sr. Martina grew up on a farm south boldt even the most minor care and concern of Macklin, Sask., in a family of 12. She was superior of St Ann's Nurs• given her. After her father's death her mother re• ing Home when it opened on Clarence Funeral services were held in St. married and the family grew by another Avenue in Saskatoon, and also served Augustine's Church; interment was in seven. as a nurses' aide. From 1985 to 1990 S1. Elizabeth Convent cemetery in In 1929 Bernadette, as she was she was semi-retired at St. Scholastica's Humboldt. called. entered the convent of the Fran• ciscan Sisters of S1. Elizabeth, and at investiture received the name Sister First abbot of Westminster Abbey dies Mary Martina. Last year she celebrated her diamond jubilee of profession. The longest-reigning abbot of the An expert seamstress, Sister Martina Swiss-American congregation of Bene• worked for many years in the laundry dictines, Abbot Eugene Medved of and the sewing room at. St. Peter's Col• Westminster Abbey, near Mission, B.C., lege, tailoring many of the monks' died on March 30 at the age of 84. Abbot Eugene Medved in hisfamiliar bowler hat pictured with former seminary students Members of the English Benedictine Congregation who attended the Benedictine Musicians' Terry Wheatley of Vancouver and Tommy conference at St. Meinrad Archabbey are, from left: Frs. Patrick Fludder and Philip Lamonthe of Ottawa. Photo was taken in the Gaisford of Worth Abbey, England, and Br. Placid Hamblen of St. Louis Abbey, Mo. Fr. late' 50s by former student, Gerald Moran. Patrick is the director of the Worth Abbey Lay Community begun some 20 years ago. Fr. Philip is the Worth Abbey composer who demonstrated some of his compositions during the Abbot Eugene was one of the musicians' conference. Br. Placid is an accomplished, young organist. founders of the Benedictine community which has Mt. Angel Abbey in Oregon as its motherhouse. He first served as rector of the Seminary of Christ the King, the community's main apostolate. He was elected abbot on Feb. 24, 1953, and held the position for 39 years. Aside from numerous building proj• ects, Abbot Eugene's priorities for his community were a Christo-centric com• munity life according to the Rule of S1. Benedict, the liturgy and priestly for• mation according to the mind of the Apostolic See. Abbot Jerome Weber, OSB, retired From left: Tom Owens, Regina; Fr. Andrew Britz, Muenster; Fr. Don Bolen, Estevan; Fr. abbot of St Peter's Abbey, represented Stefano Penna, Saskatoon, and Vince Morrison, Regina, met at St. Peter's Abbey to organize for the six-year program of catechetics instruction for teachers in the Catholic school sys• Abbot Peter Novecosky and the com• tem. The "Understanding Your Faith" project organizers above have chosen the theme of munity at Abbot Eugene's funeral on Christology for the coming year. The theme of the program just ended was Sacred Scripture. April 3. 3 Tibetan Buddhist monks visit St. Peter's Abbey His Eminence Amchok Rinpoche fection of patience, perseverance, gen- the Tibetan monks, compassion. He is and his travelling companion Lhudup erosity, wisdom, morality (altruism) also involved in the study of philoso• visited St Peter's Abbey with their es• and the main quality characteristic of phy, scriptures and meditation. cort, James Mullens of the religious studies department, University of Sas• katchewan. This is Amchok Rinpoche's second visit to Canada and the first for Lhudup.